The present invention is a portable therapy and exercise device that provides qualitative and quantitative feedback in the fields of physical therapy, rehabilitation, and exercise science. One of the goals of the device is to rehabilitate the user or patient in a quicker and more effective manner as compared to the devices representing the current state of the art. While not intending to limit the scope of the invention, it is envisioned that the device will be suitable for individuals with hand, wrist and shoulder injuries. It is noted that the devices in the current state of the art are specific in function and are, therefore, limited in the focus of application. For example, the current state commonly has separate devices targeting range of motion, strength assessment, and development of endurance for a given kind of injury. The current invention is able to target all of these areas of need within one portable device. The current state of the art also is specific in its targeted injury type. For example, a device may specifically target wrist strength while another separate device may target wrist flexibility. The present invention is able to target both of these areas, as well as muscle endurance. This is also true for arm and shoulder injury and rehabilitation. The current invention is able to target strength, range of motion, and muscle endurance rather than having separate devices for each area. The present invention, therefore, is not limited to a specific body part or muscle group and is not limited to targeting one area of need (strength, range of motion, endurance, etcetera.).
The current state of the art in rehabilitation/physical therapy technology utilizes specific therapeutic devices to either assess the physical state of a certain muscle group or bodily system or to rehabilitate/exercise this muscle group or bodily system. These devices range from simplistic static devices to mechanical dynamic machines having either no quantitative feedback or having rudimentary performance displays. The present invention is able to collect baseline and ongoing evaluation data, as well as be able to function as a portable exercise therapy device that critiques and provides feedback on the user's exercise form and technique.
The current state of the art requires the medical professional/therapist to administer and evaluate various exercises completed by the patient or user. When the patient or user is not in the clinical setting, the professional/therapist does not currently receive any quantitative feedback as to the efficacy of how the exercises are being performed by the patient. The therapist currently relies on subjective professional judgment and subjective patient feedback in order to track progress. The metrics used are qualitative in nature, ranging from improving to not improving and the rate of the improvement. The present invention will bring forth quantitative data in order to remove the subjectivity of human opinion and clinical judgment with regard to whether or not the exercises are being performed as intended and as to the rate of progress of the patient. This data can then be added to the patient's permanent electronic medical records. The present invention, therefore, helps to contribute to the ever-evolving field of health informatics.
The present invention is a universal assessment tool and exercise device with extensive data collection capabilities. The present invention collects data for the individual (through concurrent data provided to the user during the exercise), for the professional (through feedback provided to the therapist regarding patient performance) and for the healthcare industry (by developing standardized norms to enhance the current and future state of the industry).